Etched Martini Glass

Good morning! Happy three-day weekend to my U.S. friends, and a huge thank you to our military service men and women. It’s Memorial Day here, which has me thinking of my Grandpa who served in Korea. That man told a story better than anyone else. I really believed he had a blue dog named Ralph who traveled the world until I was like, eight. I miss him, and his storytelling hat. :)

I have one more piece of commentary before I get to the real topic of today’s post – and that is voting starts today over at One Artsy Mama! The round two theme is Mod Podge and voting should be up later this morning – it runs through Tuesday at noon EST. So pop over and check out the projects, make your votes (and remember to vote that you click the word “vote” above the thumbnail!) There are 15 entries vying for the top ten. I wish I could tell you which one is mine, but you’ll get the big reveal on Wednesday. ;)

Now, ready for today’s project? I found another addiction, I think… I tried my hand at glass etching, and it was so easy, I can’t believe I didn’t try it sooner. I have all kinds of ideas now!

I picked up some Armor Etch at Michael’s to make this. It’s a little pricey at $12.99 a bottle (use your 40% off coupon!) but it will last for many, many projects, and I was able to shop at the dollar store for the rest of my supplies. Yes, this great little martini glass was just a buck!

All you need for glass etching is:

Your etching medium (I mentioned Armor Etch, there may be other brands out there?)

A stencil (I made my own out of contact paper, but those lucky Silhouette and owners have infinite options, here)

Your glass piece

A paintbrush or sponge

gloves – these are optional, but you may want to play it safe since you’ll be using chemicals

Now, as much as I have mentioned that I really want a Silhouette machine… the cost is always the hangup. It’s on my birthday list (as it was my Christmas list, Valentine list, and Mother’s Day list…) But I have good news for those of you without a machine – making a stencil for glass etching is actually very easy. Let me show you how I made mine!

First, I decided on polka dots. I knew this would be an all-over design, so I made a template for my glass out if paper, to see what size my stencil needed to be.

Then, I cut it off and traced it out on some contact paper – you know, the stuff you use to line shelves and drawers. My dollar store even carries it, so you can get a whole roll of vinyl to make your own little stencils for $1 by going this route.

I decided where I wanted my dots spaced (I traced a little grid out, but you could freehand it instead if you want) and I used a regular hole punch to make my dots – nothing fancy! If you want another kind of design, you don’t even need an all-over stencil. You could use any shape craft punch out of a square of contact paper and just stick it on where you want the stencil, or cut your own shape with a utility knife. Armor Etch is pretty thick – it stays where you put it, pretty much.

Anyway, then I stuck my new stencil onto my glass. And you will have to forgive that it’s airplanes… it’s what the dollar store had for contact paper. I could have bought white for $4 at the regular store… but I decided I didn’t mind making you suffer through this sight to save money: :)

It’s just proof that it doesn’t need to be fancy to be functional. :P

Then, I just dabbed my Armor Etch on with a paintbrush. I did go over the thinner spots after I took this photo – you do want a thick layer. Do be careful – wear gloves or be sure not to get any on your skin.

Now, the bottle says to leave it for one minute, but I found that wasn’t quite enough – I had better luck with five minutes. You may want to experiment and see what works best for you! Anyway, then all you do is rinse it off! I have to be honest, I didn’t use gloves for the rinsing, and I didn’t experience any skin irritation, but it may be different if you have sensitive skin.

I had this whole project done, start to cleanup, in 30 minutes (most of which time was spent creating my stencil). So this is a pretty quick thing to do, and it’s a great way to personalize an inexpensive piece of glass. Seriously, the most difficult part is trying to photograph it so you can tell how the etching turned out. :)

copyright policy and terms of use

I love it when you love my work!
All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

If you feature a photo, it may not be accompanied by the project tutorial or recipe, whether in my own words as it originally appears or paraphrased by you. This also includes personal sharing on social media and Pinterest. Publishing multiple photos from a project, or including instructions with an accompanying photo are not permitted and you will be asked to remove them.

I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, and please be fair when you share!

I don't know if there's anything newer out there, but back in my craft store days, Armor Etch was the best stuff to use. It does take longer to work than the instructions say, but I've always had good results with it.

Funny you should post this, I'm about to embark on a glass etching project too. :)

Ah, this brings back memories. My Poppi and I did a whole bunch of etched Irish coffee glasses when I was younger, using kits that included rose stencils and some other shapes. I think it's time to look into this as a project!

I don’t. You’ll of course want to wash the glass well before using it anyway – but unlike glass paints, etching doesn’t add anything to your glass, it eats it away. It’s still just glass, only tiny bits have been dissolved and removed. Etching would be about the only safe option I can thing of for the inside of a glass.

Trackbacks

[…] Etched Martini Glass but it will last for many, many projects, and I was able to shop at the dollar store for the rest of my supplies. Yes, this great little martini glass was just a buck! All you need for glass etching is: Your etching medium (I mentioned . […]

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country.
I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!